Against (theory-neutral) method (in consciousness science)
Abstract
This article challenges the assumption that the science of consciousness can proceed from a theory-neutral foundation. I argue that even ostensibly theory-neutral (or theory-light) programmes inevitably rely on substantive background commitments that cannot be cleanly bracketed. The analysis demonstrates that the aspiration to eliminate or minimize theory-dependence in favour of pure observation risks collapsing into naïve empiricism. More broadly, the paper contends that there is no context-independent scientific method-certainly not one that seeks to purge theoretical commitments from the neuroscience of consciousness without significant epistemic cost.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Philosophy and Theoretical Science
Philosophy and History of Science
Epistemology
Ethics
and Metaphysics
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Neuroscience of Consciousness
- Volume
- 2026
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- niag003–niag003
- Publication date
- 1 January 2026
- Language
- EN